


Adjusting

by OrionRedde, Shyrstyne



Series: Cometverse [74]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Gen, and then there's whatever isa is, some sort of lion thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26169628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrionRedde/pseuds/OrionRedde, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shyrstyne/pseuds/Shyrstyne
Summary: Adjusting to his new circumstances is a trip and a half, but Isa is dealing.
Series: Cometverse [74]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1285373
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Adjusting

It’s a quiet day at the Land of Departure. Isa, as well as Roxas, Xion, and Vanitas, have stopped by to spend the day while Aqua, Comet, and Lea have their usual get together. Terra, with Ventus helping, has just finished setting out lunch - simple chicken strips with some homemade chips - when Ventus whips his head around to the doorway to the kitchen.

“Everything alright?” Terra asks at Ventus’ worried expression.

“I think so?” Ventus replies. “Van just felt really worried for a second. I’m gonna go check it out.” 

“Alright,” Terra says, waving Ventus off. “I should have everything done by then. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

Ventus darts off, clearly toeing the “no running in the halls” rule Aqua had set up after a rather unfortunate collision between a dashing Comet and a significantly less moveable Terra. Terra shrugs and finishes seasoning the last of the chips, placing them in the serving bowl. He figures he’ll let everybody come in and grab what they want.

There’s a scuff of a foot by the door and the scent of herbs and damp earth.

“Hey, Isa-” Terra greets, turning to look at his friend.

He freezes.

Standing in the doorway  _ is  _ Isa, but his friend is in his beast shape, eyes glowing with a fae light, growling quietly. Terra freezes, making no sudden moves. Slowly, deliberately, he turns back around, putting his back to Isa. Terra quietly takes a deep breath, untensing his shoulders. This is his friend, part of his pack. Terra has no reason not to trust Isa.

The click of claws on tile and a broad, cool nose presses against Terra’s cheek. Terra doesn’t twitch as Isa scents him, sniffing his face, shoulders, and hair. The low growling turns to a peculiar clicking at the back of Isa’s throat. Isa nudges the side of Terra’s head with his forehead and walks off, tail swishing and curling behind him. Terra’s breath releases in a huge sigh.

“Well, that answers that,” he muses, turning off the oven. “As long as he isn’t wrecking anything I’m sure it’s fine.”

Terra grabs a plate for himself and walks off. It’s a nice day outside. He figures it couldn’t hurt getting some sun. Terra enjoys his lunch and sprawls out on the grass, soaking in the sunshine. Everything’s quiet for all of five minutes before he hears the sound of dragging and swearing.

“Fucking!” Cries a familiar voice. “Isa, let me go! I can walk!”

Terra sits up. Trotting in on all fours comes Isa and, clenched between his teeth, is the back of Vanitas’ shirt. Vanitas himself is swearing and struggling, but Isa ignores the cub’s flailing and cursing as he pads up to Terra. Terra puts his hand over his mouth to muffle giggles. Isa drags Vanitas up next to Terra, releases the cub’s shirt, and gives Vanitas a single lick over his dark hair before the beast man trots off. Vanitas huffs, crossing his arms and glaring at the sky.

“What was that for?” Terra asks, laughter clear in his voice.

“I don’t have a goddamn clue,” Vanitas grumps. “He just grabbed me by the scruff and dragged me out here.”

“That’s a little weird,” Terra admits. He carefully rotates his head, working out the stiffness in his neck. He grabs his plate. “You want something from the kitchen? I made chicken strips and potato chips.”

“Stars, yes, please,” Vanitas grumbles, crossing his arms over his face. “I’ll just… stay out here. Because this is apparently where Isa wants me.”

“I’ll be back out with a plate,” Terra promises, walking back inside. It’s a short walk to the kitchen and back, but when he steps outside, plate in hand, Vanitas is gone. Terra tilts his head, gears working in his mind. But… didn’t Vanitas say he was going to stay here?

Terra’s ears prick, and once again he hears the sound of dragging and swearing. He turns back towards the doorway. Isa glowers up at him, the glare enhanced by his glowing eyes and slightly protruding brow. Once again Vanitas’ shirt is in Isa’s teeth, except this time Vanitas lays there quietly grumbling with his arms crossed, looking grumpy. Isa drags Vanitas over to Terra and drops the cub. Isa rises to his full height, almost seven feet in total, and puts his hands on Terra’s shoulders, pressing down firmly.

_ “Rrrowrl,”  _ Isa growls. Terra can read the message loud and clear.  _ Stay put, dipshit. _

“Alright, alright, I won’t move from this spot!” Terra says, lips twitching as he tries not to laugh. Isa huffs at him, warm breath washing over Terra’s face, and stalks off. Terra sits down next to Vanitas, who has covered his face with his hands, and holds out the plate. Vanitas sighs and sits up, accepting the plate with a “thank you”.

“So that’s one piece of the puzzle,” Terra muses aloud. “I think he brought you to me, specifically. For some reason.”

“He looked pretty pissed when he came by and saw me here but not you.”

“Hm, suspicious.”

“We probably  _ really  _ shouldn’t move this time.”

“You may be right,” Terra hums, laying back on the grass again, letting a rumble build up from his chest. “The weather’s nice enough.”

“I’m gonna climb the wall,” Vanitas says as he gets up, walking to the outer wall of the small field.

“Don’t fall or your parents will hunt me for sport.”

Vanitas huffs a laugh and leaps, digging his hands, claws extended, into the ivory brick. Terra carefully watches him until Vanitas is crouched on top of the wall. When he figures Vanitas is just going to sit there, Terra relaxes, tilting his face back to the sunshine. He’s halfway to falling asleep when Vanitas cackles.

“Terra, get up here!” He snickers. “You’ve gotta see this!”

Terra sighs and gets up. He walks to the wall, crouches, and leaps, arms extended. His hands smack onto the top of the wall and he easily pulls himself up. 

“Show off,” Vanitas teases. “Look over there.”

Terra looks.

“Why is Roxas running?” He feels the need to ask.

“Give it a second,” Vanitas replies. Terra waits.

Roxas suddenly rolls forward and a large shape flies over him from the side. Terra tenses, alert, but Vanitas waves him down.

“It’s just Isa,” he explains. “I think he’s trying to do what he did with me.”

Roxas gets in a few more lucky dodges before Isa finally gets him, tackling him into a patch of thick grass, the force of the tackle sending them skidding. Terra and Vanitas both “ooooooh” in sympathy. Isa patiently grooms a struggling Roxas, picking grass out of his hair and wiping off grass and dirt from Roxas’ face. Then he grabs the back of Roxas’ jacket in his teeth and trots towards the castle.

“I’m getting back down so he doesn’t get mad at me again,” Terra says.

“Makes sense,” Vanitas agrees. The two of them hop down and sit innocently in the middle of the field. Vanitas brings out his phone.

“I’m gonna text Xion and Ventus in case he drags them into this, too,” he explains. Terra shrugs, unconcerned. Nobody’s getting hurt, so all’s well in his book.

Eventually, Isa appears in the entrance to the field, dragging Roxas by the jacket. Isa visibly perks up when he sees that Terra and Vanitas are where he left them, and he trots a little faster. He drops Roxas next to Vanitas and immediately leaves again. Roxas huffs and sits up, brushing off loose grass.

“Any idea what’s up with Isa?” Roxas asks.

“Well, as far as he know he’s brought me and now you over to Terra,” Vanitas huffs. “I told Ventus and Xion to watch out. I think Ventus is on his way over and Xion has apparently lost their goddamn mind and wants to see how long they can dodge him.”

“That absolute lunatic,” Roxas laughs.

There’s the sound of running footsteps. Ventus sprints through an arch into the training field, looking  _ very  _ alarmed. Terra opens his mouth in greeting when Ventus gets tackled from behind. The assailant, who is of course Isa, rolls so Ventus doesn’t receive the impact. Isa grumbles, checking over Ventus, then looks up. Terra weakly waves, Vanitas and Roxas still on either side of him. Isa chuffs and nudges Ventus forward. Ventus scrambles to his feet and hurriedly moves over to sit next to Vanitas. Isa huffs and lopes away again.

“Anybody know why he’s so twitchy?” Ventus asks. He makes a face when Vanitas rips up some grass and throws it into his lap.

“I think he just gets like this sometimes,” Roxas muses, absently picking at the grass. “Especially since this is a big place and Comet and Lea aren’t here.”

“Yeah, the castle’s pretty big,” Terra admits, leaning back on his hands. “You get used to it, but there’s plenty of places to get lost in. Perfect way to lose track of some cubs.”

“And he doesn’t have Lea or Comet here to make sure we don’t get hurt, not that we will,” Vanitas hums. He throws more grass in Ventus’ lap.

“Stop throwing grass at me,” Ventus grumps.

“Make me,” Vanitas taunts, sticking his tongue out. Ventus grabs some grass and puts it in Vanitas’ hair. Vanitas tackles Ventus and they roll in the grass, grappling and growling. Terra shakes his head.

“So Isa’s anxious because the place is big, he doesn’t know where everybody is, and he doesn’t have backup,” Terra pieces together. “So here’s another question:  _ why me?” _

“You’re the only other responsible, trustworthy adult in range,” Roxas says, playing with his phone. “You can watch over us while he tracks everybody down.”

“Oh,” is all Terra can say, something warm blooming in his chest. 

There’s an exhilarated yell from the other side of a wall. Everybody pauses, then makes a rush to climb to the top of the wall, peering out over the grounds. Xion is sprinting out of the castle, probably to make a break for the surrounding forests.

“Oh shit!” Vanitas yelps. “RUN, XION, RUN!”

“They’re gonna make it!” Roxas whoops.

“They’re almost there!” Ventus cheers.

“No, they’re not,” Terra drawls, spotting a flash of blue in the trees. “Isa’s already in the woods.”

Silence.

“TURN THE  _ FUCK AROUND!”  _ Vanitas hollers, but it’s too late. Xion shrieks when Isa pounces at them. They try to jump over him, but he twists midair and grabs them, gently rolling them to the dirt. Xion goes completely limp, accepting their fate as Isa carries them into the castle.

“They  _ almost  _ had it,” Ventus insists stubbornly as they all climb down from the wall. 

“Isa’s a determined bastard,” Vanitas sniffs.

“Here he comes!” Roxas hisses. “Everybody act natural.”

Ventus, of course, tackles Vanitas, starting another round of wrestling. Terra flops back on the grass, Roxas sprawling out next to him. The click of claws on tile heralds Isa’s triumphant return, Xion pouting as he drags them over. He releases Xion next to Roxas, giving their hair a good lick before he turns away again. Isa paces around the perimeter of the field exactly once before settling primly on the grass close to Terra, hands folded under his chest in an imitation of a kitty loaf.

_ Don’t laugh, Terra,  _ Terra tells himself.  _ You don’t want to embarrass Isa when he shakes these instincts off. Isa loaf. Heh. _

__ Isa clicks, eyes squinting up as he basks in the sunlight, tail curled tightly around his body. Terra closes his eyes, rumbling deep in his chest. Xion and Roxas curl up together and purr, hands clasped and foreheads pressed together. Vanitas and Ventus stumble over, the former flopping over his sibs and the latter dropping on top of Terra. Terra grunts but doesn’t mind it, instead threading his fingers into his cub’s hair. Ventus chirps, purring at the back of his throat, and curls up against Terra’s side, wedged between Terra’s arm and chest. Terra takes in a deep breath, feeling himself relax and melt in the warm sunshine, surrounded by  _ pack.  _

Almost an hour later, Isa jerks awake, claws digging into the dirt.

“You alright, Isa?” Terra asks, not opening his eyes.

“I…” Isa clears his throat. “I am alright, yes.”

“You sure?” Vanitas speaks up. “Because you tracked every single one of us down and dragged us to Terra.”

“Not that I mind,” Terra hastens to reassure Isa, sitting up to look at his friend. “We were just wondering.”

Isa’s brows furrow.

“I…” Isa starts. “I believe I was… worried? Anxious? Unsettled. I did not know where everybody was, and it made me upset, for some reason. You are all perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves. But I  _ needed  _ to be  _ sure.  _ I… needed another adult, so to speak.”

“That’s fine, then,” Terra hums, laying back down. “You just needed some sort of backup.”

“I am sorry for the trouble I caused,” Isa apologizes, looking away.

“No worries,” Terra tells him firmly. “I do it, too. You were just being a dad.”

“Yeah, chill out, pops,” Vanitas pipes up.

Isa makes a wheezing noise, face flushing in embarrassment.

“It’s okay, dad!” Xion chirps. Isa only wheezes again, curling back up on the grass. “Noooo, daad!” Xion whines, crawling over Terra’s legs to get to Isa.

Terra laughs as Xion climbs on top of Isa, who then proceeds to roll the both of them over, crushing a giggling Xion against the grass. Roxas gives a war cry and pounces, and the chaos becomes general, grass flying as the three of them roll around in the field.

“I’ll text Ren and Lea and tell them what’s up,” Vanitas says. He holds his phone up to take a video to send to them, too. 

“Hey, don’t forget to eat, guys!” Terra suddenly remembers. “There’s food in the kitchen, if it’s not too cold already!”

And, of course, nobody hears him, but he figures their bellies will in a little bit. Terra sighs through his nose and relaxes, Ventus snuffling against his arm. It’s always nice when pack comes to visit. Never a dull moment with them around.

**Author's Note:**

> i am slightly toasted and eating popcorn and shyrstyne, much more toasted than I, reminded me that i wanted to post this so HERE HAVE IT. HAGVE MY SON.


End file.
